Adjustable catch



March 18, 1969 o. H. HUMPHREY 3,433,517

ADJUSTABLE CATCH Filed July 21, 1967 Z F163 x QLQQ!!! 3 l/ b l l/ INVENTOR. DAVID H. HUMPHREY 6W9Zflmavn ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent Office 3,433,517 Patented Mar. 18, 1969 3,433,517 ADJUSTABLE CATCH David H. Humphrey, P.0. Box 1742,

Hato Rey, Puerto Rico 00903 Filed July 21, 1967, Ser. No. 655,178 US. Cl. 292-74 Int. Cl. Ec 19/02 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE One object of my present invention is to provide a catch member which can be slidably mounted on a door and which has an integral wall constituting a catch spring, a cam being rotatably mounted on the door for adjusting the tension of the spring.

Another object is to provide the catch member and the cam integrally formed of plastic material or the like so that mounting screws can be introduced through slotted openings of the catch member and a hole in the cam, the slots and the hole being fixed in relation to each other for accurate positioning of the mounting screws.

Still another object is to provide the catch member and the cam connected together by a connecting portion such as a thin web which may, after the mounting screws have been driven into the door, be cut through and eliminated so that the catch member and the cam are then independent of each other, the catch member for sliding on the door during latching operations and the cam for rotation to adjust the spring tension of the catch.

With these and other objects in view my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my adjustable catch, whereby the objects above contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in detail on the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of an adjustable catch embodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view thereof on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a similar sectional view on the line 33 of FIG. 1 showing the catch mounted on a door and in relation to a door frame member;

FIG. 4 is a similar sectional. view showing the catch adjusted and in latching position of the door relative to the door frame member;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view as taken on a reduced scale, on the line 55 of FIG. 4, the catch being shown in elevation as in FIG. 1, FIG. 4 being taken on the line 44 of FIG. 5, and

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing the catch just before assuming latched position.

On the accompanying drawing I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate a base wall of an adjustable catch member embodying my invention, the entire catch being shown in FIG. 1. It will be noted that the catch member has also a bottom flange 12, a pair of side flanges 14 and 16, and a top wall 18. The wall 18 constitutes a catch spring as will hereinafter appear, and has reinforced thickness at 1811 for coaction with the cam 22.

The base wall 10 is in the form of a web as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 with respect to the flanges 12, 14 and 16 but does not extend up to the top wall 18. Instead it ends in a top edge 20 whereby the top wall 18 may serve as a catch spring, sprung positions thereof being shown in FIGS. 5 and 6'.

A cam 22 is formed as an integral part of the catch 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, being connected thereto by a connecting portion 24 in the form of a thin web as shown in FIG. 2. The cam 22 has a cam handle 26. A screw hole 28 is provided in the cam 22 and a pair of slotted screw holes 30 are provided in the web-like base wall 10 of the catch.

The entire structure shown in FIG. 1 and thus far described is preferably formed of a suitable plastic material such as nylon or the like and can be economically molded as a single unit as described. Such unit as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 has the screw hole 28 and the slotted screw holes 30 in fixed relation to each other so that the device may be mounted against a door 34 as shown in FIG. 3 which is adapted to close with respect to a door frame member 38 of a cabinet or the like 39. With the door partially closed as in FIG. 3 it is a very simple matter to properly locate the catch member 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 and the cam 22 by contacting the lower surface of the bottom flange 12 with the top surface of the door frame member 38- as shown in FIG. 3 and then inserting the screw 36 through the screw hole 28 and screws 40 through the slotted screw holes 30 (adjacent the lower ends thereof) with assurance that the cam and the catch member will be properly located with respect to the door and with respect to each other. The screws 40 are to be loose enough to permit the catch member to slide vertically on the door 34 and the screw 28 is to be loose enough to permit rotatable adjustment of the cam 22. Thereafter the connecting portion 24 may be cut through with a knife or saw blade so that the cam is then independent of the catch member as shown in FIG. 3.

The door may now be closed until cam surfaces 42 and 43 on the bottom flange 12 enter a depression or groove 46 in the frame member 38, one side of which constitutes a latch shoulder 44 as shown in FIG. 4. This particular position of the parts is also shown in FIG. 5. The cam 22 may be rotated from the position of FIG. 1 to an adjusted position such as shown in FIG. 5 where the spring-like top wall 18 is under slight tension when the catch member is latched. Thereafter when the door is open, as for instance to the position shown in FIG. 3, the catch member will have been elevated to the position shown in FIG. 6 by reason of the cam surface 43 coacting with the upper edge of the latch shoulder 44. Subsequently, when the door is closed the cam surface 42 will ride up over a corner 48 of the frame member 38 and, as the door is closed after the position of FIG. 3 is assumed, the catch member will be forced downwardly by the spring action in the top wall 18 to the latched position of FIGS. 4 and 5.

From the foregoing specification it will be obvious that I have provided a comparatively simple adjustable catch which may be economically produced and is so constructed that it inherently is simple to place in the proper position on the door and secure in that position by driving the screws 36 and 40 into the door at the positions indicated by the hole 28 and the lower ends of the slotted holes 30. Thereafter the cam 22 is freed from the catch member by eliminating the web 24 and the cam may then be rotated to the adjusted position desired and held in that position by tightening the screw 36 as shown in FIG. 4.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my adjustable catch without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an adjustable catch, a catch member having a slotted opening adapted to have a first screw therethrough for attaching said catch member to a door or the like in such manner that said catch member can slide on the door for latching coaction with a shoulder of the frame in which the door is mounted, said catch member including a wall constituting a catch spring, and a cam coacting with said wall to adjust the tension thereof and having a hole adapted to have a second screw therethrough to permit rotary adjustment of said cam when said second screw is loose and lock the cam against adjustment when said second screw is tight.

2. An adjustable catch according to claim 1 wherein said catch member and said cam are integrally formed whereby said slotted opening and said hole are fixed in relation to each other for initial mounting of said adjustable catch on the door.

3. An adjustable catch according to claim 2 wherein said catch member and said cam are formed integrally by a connecting portion adapted to be cut through after mounting to thereby separate said catch member from said cam to permit sliding of said catch member on the door and rotation of said cam for tension adjusting purposes.

4. An adjustable catch according to claim 2 wherein said catch member and said cam are formed of plastic material.

5. An adjustable catch according to claim 3 wherein said catch member and said cam are formed of plastic material and said connecting portion is in the form of a web.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,122,387 2/1964 Wakelin 292202 3,287,044 11/1966 Ahlgren 29217 3,302,965 2/1967 Hasth et a1 292-76 MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT L. WOLFE, Assistant Examiner. 

